Coober Pedy calls for help with alcohol problems

A thousand residents of Coober Pedy in South Australia's far north have signed a petition pleading with state and federal politicians to solve the town's alcohol management problems.

Residents are worried about the future of the outback mining town.

Coober Pedy has been a dry zone for 10 years and under an alcohol strategy for six.

But the petition group's spokeswoman Natalie Slovchevsky says the town can't cope with the influx of people from central Australian Aboriginal communities.

She says the influx of people is draining services and public drunkenness is hurting business and tourism.

"The hospital and health services can't cope and we need more resources, both facilities and staff, and we need help and we need it now," she said.

Ms Slovchevsky says the community wants to send a message to the Government that the community needs more help and has already tried to do its best to fix the problem .

"The Government now needs to realise that communities such as Coober Pedy, stuck in the little black hole between high profile places like Port Augusta and for example the APY lands, we just need more attention," she said.

Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Council spokesman Ken Newman says he has not heard of the petition, but the council is open to trying to find a solution.

"Every community has to address its own social problems or issues on an individual basis," he said.

The petition will be presented to the Coober Pedy Council next week and then sent to State and Federal Government members of Parliament.

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